DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY COMMANDER, NAVY INSTALLATIONS COMMAND 716 SICARD STREET, SE, SUITE 1000 WASHINGTON NAVY YARD, DC 20374-5140 CNIC INSTRUCTION 3700 From: COMMANDER, NAVY INSTALLATIONS COMMAND CNICINST 3700 N3 Subj: NAVY BIRD/ANIMAL AIRCRAFT STRIKE HAZARD PROGRAM IMPLEMENTING GUIDANCE Ref: (a) OPNAVINST 3750.6 (b) CNIC BASH Program Manual (c) FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-32 a of 22 Dec 04 (d) FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-33 b of 28 Aug 07 (e) OPNAVINST 11010.20 (f) USDA/CNIC Work/Financial Plan 1. Purpose a. To establish policy and procedures for implementing the Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) Bird/Animal Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Program. b. To establish mandatory BASH event reporting and remains collection procedures in accordance with references (a), (b) and (c). c. To establish BASH program procedures in accordance with reference (b) and consistent with reference (d). 2. Background a. The Navy s first loss of life due to a bird strike occurred in 1914, coincidentally the same year it obtained its first aircraft. Since 1981, Naval Aviators have reported over 16,550 bird strikes, which resulted in over 440 aircraft mishaps, 250 foreign object damaged (FOD) engines and $372,000,000.00 in damage costs. Additionally, ten aircraft were destroyed along with one fatality. The Naval Safety Center s review of recent Navy BASH incidents found that the lack of an effective installation BASH program was a consistent contributing factor. The BASH program manages risk by addressing specific aviation safety hazards associated with
wildlife near airfields through coordination among all the entities supporting the aviation mission. The BASH program should also strive to effectively minimize secondary consequences of strikes, such as damage to aircraft, environmental cleanup due to aircraft crashes, and impairment of training. Success of the program, therefore, can be measured by the steady reduction and low recurrence rate of actual wildlifeto-aircraft strike events. Such success will be gained by the persistent application of dedicated resources, focused leadership support, execution of time-tested practices and procedures, effective monitoring programs, and institutionalized BASH training across aviation commands. b. The goals of the guidance contained in this instruction are to increase the reporting and identification of strike events and to reduce BASH incidences at Navy airfields. These goals can be accomplished by reducing the quality and attractiveness of those airfields as habitats for identified problem wildlife, manage wildlife populations to minimize the potential for aircraft strikes, and through coordination with aircraft custodians and shore-based air operations personnel to improve the reporting and communications on both wildlife management and aircraft strikes. 3. Policy a. CNIC is the Executive Agent, Budget Submitting Office, Program Manager, and Single Process Integrator for executing, monitoring and sustaining the BASH Program at all CNIC installations that conduct or support air operations. b. This instruction is applicable to all CNIC commands that support fixed and rotary-wing air operations. c. All Navy flying units that are tenants of CNIC commands shall report bird/wildlife strikes of known origin (e.g., bird remains found on an aircraft, bird remains found on the runway and correlated to a specific aircraft) in accordance with reference (a) and collect/forward remains in accordance with Appendix A-1 of reference (b). d. All CNIC commands shall report all wildlife strikes in accordance with reference (a) and manage facilities in accordance with reference (b) and consistent with reference (d). e. BASH manpower and equipment resourcing falls under the Chief Of Naval Operations (OPNAV) Shore Installation Readiness (N46) Base Operating Support (BOS) funding umbrella. 2
f. CNIC N3, as BASH Program Manager, is final authority for approval and submission to OPNAV N46 for BASH manpower and equipment resourcing requirements across the Navy shore enterprise. g. Annual updates to those requirements beyond the basic equipment provided in appendix A-2 of reference (b) will be the province of Commanding Officers (CO) at air installations and air operations supporting facilities. h. BASH incidents shall be reported, via the Web Enabled Safety System (WESS), in accordance with procedures contained in references (a) and (c). 4. Responsibilities a. CNIC is responsible for execution and oversight of the BASH program. b. Regional Commanders are responsible for execution and oversight of the BASH program in their regions. c. COs are responsible for execution and oversight of the BASH program on installations that conduct or support air operations. d. Air Operations Department Heads are responsible as the BASH program managers on installations that conduct or support air operations. e. Public Works Officers (PWO) are responsible for ensuring BASH programs are supported by routine facility support services, maintenance, and management. f. Environmental Program Directors (EPD) are responsible for ensuring BASH programs are compliant with all applicable state and federal environmental laws and regulations, and all applicable Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Navy (DON) and U.S. Navy environmental policies, directives, and instructions. g. Natural Resource Managers (NRM) are responsible for ensuring BASH programs are addressed in the installation Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) and compliant with all applicable state and federal natural resource laws and regulations as well as all applicable DoD, DON, and 3
U.S. Navy environmental policies, directives, and instructions related to natural resources. 5. Action a. CNIC Headquarters shall: (1) Assign N3 is the BASH program manager. (2) Assign Air Operations Program Director (N32) as the executing agent for the CNIC BASH Program and will serve as principal point of contact to all agencies, internal or external, on matters involving the BASH Program. CNIC N32 shall: (a) Resource CNIC air facilities to the recommended minimum equipment standards established in Appendix A-2 of reference (b). (b) Centrally fund the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Wildlife Services (WS) for biologists assigned to air operations departments to perform Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) and monitoring efforts in support of the installation BASH plan. (c) Manage BASH resource execution. (d) Chair an annual DON BASH Working Group among major aviation stakeholders typically attended by representatives from fleet type commanders, Naval Safety Center, OPNAV Shore Readiness (N46), OPNAV Energy and Environmental Readiness (N45), Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), regional and installation air operations and natural resources personnel. (e) Compile regional inputs and additional requirements inputs from air operations stakeholders at the annual BASH Working Group prior to final Program Objective Memoranda (POM) requirements submissions. (f) Review BASH procedures, and formulate and submit budgetary planning documents to OPNAV N46 per the annual POM schedule. year. (g) Conduct a formal review of this instruction every 4
(3) CNIC N4 shall: (a) Ensure adequately trained NRMs, professional biologists, and biological technicians are available to support preparation and implementation of installation BASH plans. (b) Ensure BASH programs are addressed in and compliant with installation INRMPs. b. CNIC Regions shall: (1) Regional Commanders shall charge the Regional Operations Officer (N3) with responsibility for execution oversight of BASH at the installations. In Regions with an Air Operations Program, the Operations Officer will typically appoint the Air Operations Program Director with responsibility for BASH management oversight. (2) Regional Air Operations Program Directors shall: (a) Support COs in establishment and reporting of BASH budget requirements for the annual POM submission cycle. (b) Manage BASH financial execution. (c) Monitor installation BASH program viability and BASH incident reporting. (d) Ensure training for BASH personnel at the installations is in place and standardized. (3) Regional Engineer Environmental Program Directors (N4) shall ensure that adequately trained NRMs, professional biologists, and biological technicians are available to support Air Department staffs in preparation and implementation of installation BASH plans. c. CNIC Installations shall: (1) COs of installations that conduct or support air operations shall: (a) Issue a BASH plan and maintain its currency based on normal command review guidelines and interim changes to this instruction. The BASH plan shall, at a minimum, address the following: 5
1. Establishment of a BASH Working Group (BWG) to coordinate BASH issues and requirements across departments and tenants. 2. Identify bird/animal hazards to aviation in the local geographic environment. Hazards shall be identified by regular monitoring of wildlife and if necessary a Wildlife Hazard Assessment (WHA). 3. Establish BASH mitigation procedures (active and passive) relative to the identified hazards in accordance with reference (b) and consistent with reference (d). 4. Develop methods to monitor the effectiveness of the installation IWDM and associated BASH program elements to ensure changes are made as necessary. Data shall be collected and compared from one year to the next in order to document program effectiveness over time. 5. Determine how real time BASH information is made available to aviators as well as potential changes to flying operations based on current operating conditions. 6. Establish procedures for a rapid response capability to deal with emergent BASH issues that threaten daily operations. 7. Ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental and natural resources laws and and regulations, and all applicable DoD, DoN and U.S. Navy environmental policies, directives, and instructions. 8. Address submittal of regular updates to the BWG for review. These reports shall detail methodology and results of all work completed as well as appropriate BASH management recommendations. 9. Training requirements for installation personnel involved with air operations to promote knowledge of BASH issues and to institutionalize standardized procedures for reporting incidents and collecting/forwarding remains. 10. Establish requirements for an annual BASH program self-assessment process that, at a minimum, incorporates appendix A-3 of reference (b). 6
(b) Institutionalize these procedures by ensuring training on reporting procedures is provided to all divisions and offices directly exposed to the execution of air operations. (c) Ensure installation personnel are responsible for reporting bird/wildlife strikes of unknown origin (e.g., bird remains found on a runway and not correlated to a specific aircraft) in accordance with references (b) and (c). (d) Ensure installation personnel collect and forward remains in accordance with Appendix A-1 of reference (b). (2) Installation Air Operations Officer shall: (a) Be the BASH Program Manager responsible for execution oversight of installation BASH plan. Serve as central point of contact for BASH coordination and planning with other departments, installation tenants, and the local community. (b) Establish a WESS account for the mandatory reporting of all BASH incidents. (c) Coordinate with aircraft custodians on the proper reporting, via WESS, and remains collection procedures of all bird/animal strikes of known origin in accordance with references (a), (b) and (c). (d) Ensure bird/animal strikes of unknown origin (wildlife found on or near the runway) are reported, via WESS, to the Naval Safety Center in accordance with reference (b) and that any remains are appropriately packaged and forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution for positive identification in accordance with references (b) and (c). (e) Ensure all wildlife strike reporting and identification data is provided to the members of the BWG and analyzed by the installation for development of future BASH reduction management strategies. (f) Ensure aircraft reporting custodians receive assistance in their efforts to report strikes of known origin and forward remains. (g) Provide local oversight of the USDA Wildlife Biologist, if one is assigned, and ensure regular coordination of efforts and strike identification with the installation NRM occur. 7
(h) Chair the BWG which will typically be staffed, dependent on local billets, by the Air Field Manager (AFM), PWO, Aviation Safety Officer (ASO), tenant Wing or Squadron ASOs (SSO/WSO), a USDA Wildlife Biologist, and representatives from Air Traffic Control, environmental department, Natural Resources, Public Affairs Office (PAO), and Community Plans and Liaison Officer (CPLO). Ensure installation PWOs, EPDs, and NRMs participate as key members in the BASH Working Group. (i) At overseas installations where host nation maintains responsibility for BASH, coordinate with host nation to ensure U. S. Navy representation on airfield BASH Working Group (BWG), or its equivalent. To the extent host nation agreements require, provide cost sharing or direct support of the installation BASH program. (3) Installation PWOs shall: (a) Participate in the local BWG and in on-site technical reviews of installation BASH programs during periodic Naval Safety Center surveys. (b) Provide facilities support services and maintenance (such as mowing, vegetation and landscape management, trash removal, facilities and sign maintenance, etc.) that correspond to mitigation procedures appropriate for hazards, in accordance with reference (b) and consistent with reference (d), in the local installation operational environment. (c) Ensure BASH projects that exceed local approval authority are submitted in compliance with reference (e). (4) Installation EPDs shall: (a) Ensure BASH programs are in compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental laws and regulations including but not limited to the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act. (b) Ensure BASH programs are in compliance with all applicable DoD, DoN and U.S. Navy environmental policies, directives, and instructions including but not limited to DoD Instruction 4715.03 Natural Resources Conservation dated March 2011 and Chief of Naval Operations Instruction 5090. 8
(c) Participate in local BWG and in on-site technical reviews of installation BASH programs during periodic Naval Safety Center surveys. (5) Installation NRMs shall: (a) Be the BASH program manager on installations that do not have an Air Operations Officer. (b) In the absence of an air operations funded USDA wildlife biologist, and in addition to other duties assigned, assist the Air Operations Officer in managing the BASH program. (c) Ensure BASH programs and plans are in compliance with the INRMP and all applicable state and federal natural resource laws and regulations including but not limited to the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Sikes Act. (d) Coordinate INRMP revisions and updates with air operations. (e) Coordinate and manage all applicable natural resources consultations and permits necessary to support the BASH program including but not limited to Army Corps of Engineer Section 404 permits, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Migratory Bird Depredation Permits, and Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations. (f) Ensure BASH program elements consider sustainable land management practices, adaptive management and scientifically sound monitoring techniques. (g) Support the WHA and ensure data collected is able to be reproduced for annual monitoring and reporting requirements. (h) Participate in the local BWG and in on-site technical reviews of installation BASH programs during periodic Naval Safety Center surveys. If requested, participate as a cochair of the BWG. (i) Coordinate with the air operations funded USDA wildlife biologist, if one is assigned. (j) Assist with strike identifications. 9